Surrendering Your Life to Honor God
By Cindy Tiong

This was the second time (I believe) I was being defeated by myself. Once again, I drifted away from God, from His Word, from Quiet Time because of this very world that we are living in. The busyness of this world suffocated and choked me again. The priority that I set out to have just a couple of months ago (ie. to place God first) was turned upside down again.

The first time I took a long vacation from doing QT was last year (2005) June I think. I had a hard time bringing myself back to doing QT. It was only in Feb this year (2006) that I was given a word of encouragement from the Camp Chaplain for GB’s JLTC Camp, which really motivated me in picking up the habit of doing my QT daily. For the first time, I really persevered and did my QT consistently for like 2 months. I thought this time round I can make it through (because accordingly to Pastor Tim, he mentioned before that if we are able to do the same thing for like 1-2 months, it will become a habit… hmmm…), but in mid April, the many assignments that I had to cleared took over even my less than an hour QT. This was the second time I stopped “permanently” from doing QT.

I don’t know for what reason, but I only “restarted” and did my QT again on 13th May (Sat). Maybe, I think, was because the coming week I had a lot of assignments due, so desperately needing to seek God’s wisdom and peace. The devotional verse for that day was Luke 5: 27 – 32, about how Jesus called a tax collector, called Levi, to follow Him. And when Jesus was being questioned as to why He was with the sinners, He answered saying, “IT IS NOT THE HEALTHY WHO NEED A DOCTOR, BUT THE SICK. I HAVE NOT COME TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT SINNERS TO REPENTANCE”. How marvelous is God’s grace and love, to know that even when I had forsaken Him for so long, He still welcome and call me to follow Him.

On the following day, 14th May (Sun), I was tempted not to go to church for I need to rush for an assignment, yet to be started and due the next day. I struggled with the devotional verses I read on Sat, on how Levi responded to Jesus’ calling by leaving EVERYTHING behind and follow Him IMMEDIATELY. In the end, I still go to church, though still not very convinced and willing. It was only when I saw that there would be Holy Communion that I was convinced that I had made the right choice of coming to church. For if I was to choose the few hours meant for service to do my work, I would have missed a far greater blessing, the partaking of the bread and wine. Later, after service, Ivy came up to me and reminded me that that day was the day both of us got baptism one year ago. How significant it is! And this once again assured me that I had made the right choice in choosing to come to church.

On Monday, 15th May, did my QT (because I need God’s help), but instead of reading the devotional verses for Mon, I accidentally read the devotional verses for Tues. The verses were from Leviticus. It was talking about how God had broken us away from bondage, but I was impressed by the fact that God restating to His people that HE WAS THE LORD WHO BROUGHT THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT.

My cell was on Tuesday evening, and so happened that I would be doing QT sharing for that week. That afternoon, I was tempted not to go for cell, for the same reason (I need to rush for an assignment, yet to be started and due the next day). Once again, struggled with God who assured me that if He can bring His people out of Egypt, He can do likewise to me too. In the end, I still go for cell because on “duty”, and still not very convinced and willing. Since I only did one QT last week, I decided to share my Sat’s QT and Sun’s experience. Upon reaching Adelphi, I got the Cell notes from Tina and to my amazement, it reads “Unit 6: SURRENDERING YOUR LIFE TO HONOR GOD”. Oh my God! How can it be!